Dual-control gas cut-off



H. J. MURRAY DUAL CONTROL GAS CUT-OFF Filed NOV. 50. 1925 Nov. 19, 1929.

Y... H. m fm A M .OA J. M mw ^Wn1% m Patented Nov. 19, 1929 STATES NETEwaas@ sereni erstes I HOWARD J. MURRAY, or BROOKLYN, NEW Yonmassrenon ToHENRY srEBEN, or

l Y Y HADLRY, NRW YORK y t DUAL-CONTROL ses cnr-errV Application ledNovember 30, 1926. Serial No. 151,819.

The invention relates in general to shut-off valves, particularly of thetype of valves used for shutting olf a gas or liquid flow to abuilding,and the inventionrelates to that type of such valves which areeither manually actuated or automaticallyactuated by a raise oftemperature in the vicinity.

The present disclosure constitutes in part another embodiment of myinvention entitled Gas cut-off, Serial No. 151,818 filed under evendate. Y

The primary object of the invention is to provide a simplified structureof valve which can be closed at will or automatically by valve controlmechanisms which are independent of each other. n

While it is required of such structures that they be designed to workautomatically in case of a fire or excessive heat in the vicinity of thevalve, it is seldom that the construction. is called upon to function atall, and even then the closing of the valve is inmost cases done by theactuation'of the manual control when testing the device. It is furtherrequired in all cases that the valve when moved onto itsseat engage thesame' rmlyand preferably locked in vclosed positionunder the force of apowerfully acting spring. It isy common in such structures to provide aspring for this purpose ,but the springs heretofore used for thispurpose have been under tension at all times and as the deviceispermitted to remain inoperative for years any such spring is bound tolose its tension when distorted for such a long period of time.

Accordingly another object of the inven;

tion is to provide a simple form of shut-off valve of the type outlinedand which when once set will not have its automatically Vclosingfeatures disturbed even though the valve may be repeatedly closed by themanual lactuation.

Another object of the invention is to provide in connection with themanual actuated valve closing mechanism afpowerful spring which is notnormally under tension, or rather Y Vwhich is not under any materialtension or distortion, until the'valve closing i'nechanismvy is manuallyactuated. In the form of the invention disclosed advantage is taken ofthe nervous energy of the operator" in the usual 'jerk on thecontrolling pull rod so as toplace the spring under tension 'and theparts are so arranged that the t'ensioned spring will react on the valveto maintain the same -in firm pressing engagement withits seat'.v

J@another 'object Vof the invention is to provide a simple structureVfor automatically locking the valve in its closed position when movedinto such closed position.

Various other objects and advantages of the invention will be in partobvious from an inspection of the accompanying drawings and in part willbe more fully set forth in the following particular descriptionY of onehereinafter set;` forth and .Y form of device embodying my invention,and y embodiment of the invention and showing the .valve in openposition in dotted outline;v

Fig. 2 is a' horizont-al sectional view taken axially through themechanism containing casing shown in rear elevation inFig. l; and

Fig. 3 is a view of the devicesho-wn in Fig. lion the reverse sidethereof andwith sov the mechanism containingcasing open to display itscontents. n

y 1n the drawing there is shown a casting including a valve casing l()in which is rotatably mounted a valve 11 and which casting includesanintegrally formed mechanism containing` casing 12 into which the stemv13 of the valve -intrudes The portion of the'valve stem intruded intothecasing 12 has an operating member comprising the valve arms 14 and16, secured to the stenrby a pin 15, the arm 16 being shorter than the`arm 14, and provided with a downwardly facing spring seat 17. The otherarm V18 is relatively long and is provided adjacent its outer endrwith apin seatv 19. Loosely mounted on the stem 13 and between a hubA 20forming part of the casting 10 and the operating member 111, 16 1s arelatively long automatically actuating arm Y y Y to pin y2&1projeetingfroml the cast-ing.

springvvhen thejarm is released acts toisvving 21. The free end of thearm 21 isprovided with a long pin 22 to the rear end of which is securedone end of a flat coiled spring 23 n the opposite or inner endof Whichis secured The the rarm 2l clockwise to close the valve as hereinafterdescribed. The arm `21 is normally held in inoperative "position bymeans of Va fusible link 25 one end of which is secured to the pin 22and the otherendof which is secured to a screw 26 threadedintothecasting. #The arin 21 isprovidedwith a.later-.

allyextending pin .27 normally rest-ing in mythe pin seat 19. It is-fap-preciatedfthat*the lmelting of th-,efuse,; releases its. .holdingIeffeet O11 they arni-2lfand permitsthefspring c. n to faet through the`arm 2l, pin, 27, andvalve.

,ar-111,518,110 swing the Y'valve ,from -tlie open "2Q positiontasshovvninFig. 1 intoengagenient -vvith itsQ-,seat 1thus iintereeptingithe-flow throughstlie valve casing l0. The spring is l.designedscithatitwillrnot only close the valve but will alsomaintainthe valvesecure on its [25.fseat.

(Loosely Lamounted. on the stein A13 in lad- Y `va'nce Y lofthe .arm,-18 is.4 agmanually actuated farin .28 ii provided intermediate its`end With an vii-pivafrvdly.faeingspring seat 29. fA short l30` rcoiled:s pringBO one` end located in the iandtheother.fendlecated in theseat ie ...29. Itis .understood that when-,the partsare.

l yin tlie,.nor1nal position with the valve open as shown inFig. B, thisspringis either` not under any ,tensioni whatsoever, or is only slightlyt. distorted from its normal distendl;.,.ed..position'. 5 It istheintent that the spring s V5be,dav-ailable and in positiong`topromptlymad- I ...vanc erv the valve ,towards its seatwhen Vthev@taiin l28-is rotated' butthe spring is not norit to beeomevvealrenedWithage.

.Theffreeend of the arm 28 is provided fvvith' mallyunder gany tensionWhich would cause,

f apavvlBlvpivotedthereto :and which engages lFrom this -.eons'tructionit is yappreciatedl that a,-pull' on theinernber 34 avill cause arm 28to act'through spring'BO .and larm 16 to move the valve into engagementvvith'its seat upwardly alongthe ra'c'lrteeth. vThe teeth are sodisposed that thepavvl canbe advanced y with the arrng28-beyondtheIpos'ition lwhere the lvalve'isin. engagement With its seat. A

`:locked .but locked underlspring .tension vuntil be `understood thatvarious omissions, Vsub-Y continued advance ofthe arm beyond this pointaots'on the spring to place it under tension and the tensioned springreacts on the valve to maintain the same firmly in engagement with itsseat. Y t

It is appreciated that.` the valve fvvill be so held even tho tension beremoved by the Y operator from` the pull member 84. The

spring cannot` be" releasedlas ythe V.pawl v.is holdingthe saine in itscompressed position betvveenthe arm 30 andthe arm 16 secured'tothevalve/ `The valve is thus moved automatically into a lockedposition incidental to the Closing of the same andreinains not onlyitgispositiveiyreleased. Y Y SO .Shoulchtlbe desired to; open thevalve'the casing 12'isepened bysvvinginglits cover 35 into, the open;positionas shown in `Fig. 8; the paivl is moved into Aunlatched.positionagainst the resistance offspring, 38 andthe valve openedI by swingingthearm 28 into valve .open

`Apositionas shown in Fig. 3,-thepavvlis`then released toengageltheffirst toothgan'dthe t parts are again in position'for-eithermanual .-.90 oreutornatie closing-of the valve as'shovvn in Fig '3.

By nieans'of a devieeof the type disclosed I itfi'spossible to retainall 'of thewadva'ntages inherent in self-closing valves Whioharenorinally ,held in open position' byV meansof a fusible link and `4atthev same time there ,is y,attained a vstructure which' can'Lbejactuated manually and., repeatedly Without `inte`r "fering with thefuse heldspring 'and associated-valve 100 closing ymeclra-iiism. I f 'YyIt isfof eoursejpossible to place,xany,desired vtension on the-,springwhich holds the valve in closedposition 'following the manual'olos, '1ing ofthe valve. Infthe 'normaljoperati-on the valve 'is .usually I'jerked into closed :posi- -tion and itjis readily appreciated that themore 4powerful the y jerlr the t greater Will" be thetens'ion imposed onthe spring and the morey secure yWill bethe holding of :the valve ontoits seat. :The device disclosed has Avthe Ypeculiar advantage jin'that:the 'valve seating,

manually-'aotuated springisnot 'normally' under tensionian'd is only:placed under tension Whenjit'is'rezquired to function. E11i-thiscapable of ,.functioning when required and Vwill"nothavelost its lifeortemper during `prolongzpd*periods lin vvhieh it "would normally 'beheldundeiutension as `isthe caseV 120 Ain the presentforins of .similarvalves.

While VI have shown and described, 4and 4have pointed'outingtheannexe'dclaims, certain novel features of my invention, it- AWillstitutions and changes l'in the vform and detailsof the deviceillustrated and in its operationinay be inadeby those skilled `in theiart kWithout departing fromlthe. spirit ofthe invention. 130

. I Way it is assured'that the sspring'will be Having thus described myinvention, I claim:

l. In a gas cutoff, the combination of a valve provided with a stem, acasting for containing the valve controlling mechanism and into whichthe stem isintruded, said mechanism including a member secured to thestem and comprising a valve arm provided with a spring seat on one sideof the stem and with a valve arm provided with a pin seat on the otherside, an automatically actuated arm loose on the stem and provided witha laterally projecting pin engaging said pin seat, a spring engaging theautomatically actuated arm and tending to force the pin towards thesecond mentioned valve arm to close the valve, a fuse linlr engaging theautomatically actuated arm to hold the same against the tension of thespring, a manually actuated arm loose on the stem and provided with aspring seat, a spring' having opposite ends engaging in said seats andacting, when the valve is closed manually, to force the valve firmlyonto its seat, a one-way pawl and rack connection between the casing andthe manually actuated arm and a manually actuated pull member intrudedinto the casing and engaging the manually actuated arm to move the valveinto closed position and in the direction permitted by the pawl andrackconnections.

2. In a valve construction, the combination of a normally open valveprovided with a valve stem, an arm secured to the valve stem, anactuating arm loose on the valve stem,y a

` pull member engaging the actuating arm to close the valve and a springbetween said arms, said spring being normally not under any materialtension but acting when the actuating arm is advanced by means of thepull member to bear on the arm secured to the stem to advance the valveto its seat and acting on the further advance of the actuating arm toforce the valve tightly onto its seat.

3. In a valve construction, the combination of a normally open valveprovided with a valve stem, an arm secured to the valve stem, anactuating arm loose on the valve stem, a pull member engaging theactuating arm to close the valve and a spring between said arms, saidspring being normally not under a ny material tension but acting whenthe actuating arm is advanced by means of the pull member to bear on thearm secured t o the stem t-o advance the valve to its seat and acting onthe further advance of the actu-V ating arm to force the valve tightlyonto its seat, and means for preventing the retreat oi the actuating armunder the force of said spring thereby to secure the valve rmly onto itsseat by the tension of said spring.

4. In a valve construction, the combination of a valve, a manuallyactuated arm, a

compression spring normally not undertension and disposed between thearm and value,

a pull member engaging the arm and adapted Y closing the valve, manuallyactuated meansy independent of said automatically closing means formoving the valve into closing position, said last name means including aspring for forcing the valve into engagement with its seat.

6. In a valve construction, thecombination of a normally open valveprovided with an operating'member, two sets of mechanisms virtuallyindependent of each other and both adapted to act on the operatingmember to close the valve, each of said mechanisms including a springfor forcing the valve onto its seat.

-7. Ina valve construction, the combination oi a normally open valve,manually actuated mechanism for closingl the valve, said mechanismincluding an arm mounted for oscillating movement, means for permittingthe movement of the arm in the direction for closing the valve andadapted toprevent movement in the reverse direction anda pull member forturning the arm in its permissible direction to close the valve.

S. In a valve construction, a valve provided with an actuating armmounted for oscillating movement, a spring normally not under tensionand adapted to be placed under tension for bearing on said arm andacting therethrough with a leverage eect for holding the valve onto itsseat, and manually actuated means for energizing said spring andactuating said arm to move the valve towards its seat and causing thespring vto secure the valve toits seat under tension of the spring. v Y9. In a device of the class described, the combination of a support, avalve, an arm adapted to engage said valve, a spring enaOinor said armand tendine' to move the arm and seat the valve, a fusible link havingone end secured to the support and the Y spring` tending to close thevalve on to its seat` means under tension of said spring `and in cludinga fusible 'link acting to hold the valve in open position ott'- it-sseat, locking means adapted to secure the valve firmly inV

